Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-12-21

of December % as the day OF the Ma
tivity had become the universal prac-
tice of Christians. ST. Chrysostom,
in q Christmas sermon preached at
Antioch, called it the fundamental
feast or the root from which all other
Christian festivals grow Harper 8
Magazine.
A Lonely Christmas.
Mary Anderson, in g. little sketch
published in the Cleveland Plain Deal
er, tells Of g. lonely Christmas in her
life. saying:
With my company was travelling
through the interior with Especial car,
in which we slept and dined and lived,
little colony. The morning OF De-
cember "a found us speeding through
country smothered deep with snow,
and more coming. During the day we
rolled into thriving city, where our
car was detached and run onto aside
track. The wheels, muffled with snow
that had fallen miles away, came to a
standsti in the midst of q lumber
yard. All about us was snow, snow,
snow. The lumber piles were mounds
of pure white, except where, on a
sheltered side, the brown edges of the
boards grinned through the downy
stuff, like lath in q break of plaster on
wall. There was "no earth below"
only the buried timber heaps and us.
At the end of g. Journey you have
felt that coming down from the ex-
element of railway travel, the COM
monplace "platter and knife" sort of
So ! l. To- IS
the wheels. It means that the great
engine has brought you safely through;
now do something for yourself while
he rests. There is to me something
dismal in this, and felt it more than
ever on this day. Everything was SO
still; we were alone, with no soul Or
sound about us, and at this distance
of time / may own that I felt home
sick on the verge Of Christmas. In
the afternoon each of the company
received his Or her present; but when
this little pleasure was done [ began
to realize that my own accustomed
remembrances were not forthcoming,
The short afternoon deadened to twi.
light, while for g. moment the sun
found a rift in the clouds and-well,
while | sat looking through the win
dow thought of those lines in Whit
tiers, some place in "Snow Bound. +"
where
The sun, showdown traveller sank
From sight beneath the smothering bank.
began to realize that I was about
to spend the first Christmas eve in my
life without the gifts that children
look for that night. Somehow the
jollity of the company at the dining
room end of the car, which had been
lighted, did not inspire me. I guess
there came thoughts of other holiday
seasons. Indeed, Pm pretty sure OF
dusk, in the shadowy snowbanks
Jolly gatherings Of friends in other
states g. good many miles away. And
so thought and thought, as [ stared
out at the lumber heaps that were get
ting to be but dim outlines on the
rapidly deepening twilight. I don't
think heard the laughter of the 9TH
ers, and was more alone than ever
was, as g. child, in the empty house.
The solitude exceeded that of the
chamber where did solitary penance
for my youthful impudence Or dis
obedience, and those childish DAYS
seemed then as but mist to the rain.
I was isolated, though attended; by
myself, though surrounded; alone yet
with friends.
At length the snowdrifts were lost in
the night, and, withdrawing my gaze,
/ saw my own face reflected on the
window, behind which the darkness
thus rendered it a. mirror. I was
startled by q shout from the party at
the end of the car, and a call to join
them. told the face on the window
pane that it did not look very cheer
full or much inclined to the effort OF
facing the lights or attempting to in
terest an audience that night.
Then | went forward and joined the
others. AS | did so, some one began
to make speech, and they presented
me with q horseshoe set with dia-
mond nail-heads, and expressions OF
regard. Nothing of similar impOr-
lance ever did me so much good.
Spirits went up at bound, and that
night we felt too good almost to play
in earnest.
The next morning the express train
rolled in, and after g. little q wagon
drove alongside our car, and my
Christmas was unloaded in boxes and
packages, large and small. That wag-
on brought me friends that had pic
tured in the snowbanks that Christ
mas eve. Alone no longer-that was
q holiday, indeed! The tables were
set in the body of the car, and, each
lady taking four gentlemen to wait
upon, we served them to the summons
OF Peggy, Bridget and Mary Ann.
Then the order was reversed, and
they danced sharp attendance to the
wants Of the ladies, who demanded
full ,.aturn of c0i1rtaSu havana 1aer